Peru Trip Itineraries

Lima is a city of contrasts, from the tinted glass and polished steel high rises of San Isidro to the bohemian and rustic Barranco to the impoverished pueblos jovenes on the city's outskirts. Thankfully this enormous diversity means that a budget vacation in Lima can be an interesting and exciting experience, with a huge range of free or nearly free activities to keep you entertained. There are numerous free or cheap museums andarcheological sites, the neighbourhoods of Miraflores and Barranco are great places to lose yourself on a walking tour while much of Central Lima's history and impressive architecture can be admired from the outside for nothing! During the weekend's Lima's big supermarkets give away a huge amount of tasters and samples (who said there's no such thing as a free lunch?) while street vendors sell anything from tacos toempanadas (tasty meat-filled pastries) to chicharron (roast pork) sandwiches, which will keep you full for next to nothing. For the brave, transport within Lima is easy and cheap thanks to the vast numbers of 'combi' buses that ply virtually every route night and day. Short trips cost just 50 centivos (USD 0.15) and longer journeys cost 1 sole (USD 0.30). Just read the destination on the front of the bus and the route it follows which is printed on the side. The main routes are Panama and Arequipa which will get you to all the important sites.
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Think Cusco and think ancient city steeped in mythology. Think Machu Picchu, Inca ruins and winding cobbled streets. Think breathtaking panoramic vistas and stunning architecture, bloody history and mysterious artifacts. Cusco is all this and more, the top Peru vacation destination lying in the middle of the most important historical site in all of Latin America. At over 3,300m, Cusco is literally a cloud city and those arriving by plane will notice the altitude difference immediately. You'll need a day or two to acclimatize to the elevation, especially if you're planning on exerting yourself along the fabled Inca Trail to Machu Picchu . The city is jam packed with historical sites, ruins museums, churches and notable architecture and for this reason, most of the popular sites are covered by the 'boleto turistico' (tourist ticket). You'll need to invest in a ticket if you wish to see any of the major attractions, but your ticket should be valid for ten days and so can be used when you return to Cusco from the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail itself is just one of many routes that lead to Machu Pichhu and alternative treks are often just as challenging and interesting while being half as congested with other trekkers. Choose your operator wisely and shop around - it's advisable to look into this up to two months before your arrival to Cusco as places on the 'standard' Inca Trail fill up long in advance.
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There's a reason that Cusco and the Sacred Valley draw thousands upon thousands of visitors over the course of a year: it is jam packed with some of the most compelling historical sites, stunning landscapes and dreamy city scenes to be found anywhere in the world. Visitors with time to spare spend weeks, even months here while some people never leave. Everywhere you turn there is something new to absorb your imagination and captivate your senses. However not everyone has time to spare, and for that reason, this guide offers the best of Cusco's best, assuming that you plan to visit the unmissable Machu Picchu afterward. The one major drawback to spending just three days in town is the boleto turistico, the ticket that covers most of Cusco's attractions is valid for ten days. If you don't intend to come back to Cusco within ten days, consider buying a partial ticket which is valid for just one day and cram as much as you can into 24 hours! Welcome to Cusco, now get exploring!
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